Texas Rangers Week in Review: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Jun 2, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman

(13) is congratulated by left fielder

(7) after hitting a two run home run in the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Rangers have continued their stellar play we saw in May and with last night’s win over the Kansas City Royals they sit in second place in the division, just 4.5 games behind the Houston Astros. The Rangers finished off the series against the Boston Red Sox with two impressive wins, took two out of three from the Chicago White Sox, and took the first game from the surging Kansas City Royals. They have won seven of their last 10 games and their last five series. This winning was impressive enough to land them in the top half of FanSided Power Rankings this week (see analysis of the rankings here).

With the MLB Draft starting on Monday (see the latest mock drafts), the Rangers can have some confidence as they see past draft picks starting to shine on the big league level. This past week we saw the top two Rangers prospects make their debut and while each will appear on this list, only one made the Hot list. Unlike at the beginning of the season when it was difficult to find a player to make the Hot list, it is becoming increasingly difficult try to pick a top three as well as finding players for the Not list. The team has been riding a hot streak for over a month now and is starting to make fans believe that this might be more than a streak, this team might simply be very, very good.

So, which players were a crucial part of the Texas Rangers success last week? Which players struggled, as the Rangers were able to overcome their issues and win anyway? Let’s take a look back at the week that was for the Rangers, as we see which players were hot, and which were not.

Let us begin with those who struggled last week.

Next: Gallo Slows after Stellar Debut

Jun 3, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joey Gallo (13) reacts after striking out during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

3. Joey Gallo

I was not a fan of putting

here since he has played just four games in the big leagues, but after his first game he has hit his first rough stretch. Gallo is hitting .313/.389/.750 so far but is just 2-for-14 since that first game. Gallo has been hitting 6th in the order for three of the games and hit 5th in the other game as the Rangers look to balance a lineup that is heavy with left-handed hitters.

As you can see above, Gallo has pulled all six of his batted balls to right field. If this trend continues he could be the next in line to face the shift as teams will look to take away those base hits. The best way for Gallo to avoid this happening is to start to drive the ball to left field or just continue to hit most of the balls over the fence.

The biggest concern for Gallo by far has been his continued problem with striking out. Gallo has struck out 10 times in his 16 at-bats, including striking out in all four of his ABs in yesterday’s game. While Gallo has had to face two strong left-handed pitchers in Chris Sale and Carlos Rodon, four of the 10 strikeouts have come against right-handed pitchers.

Gallo will likely not be up with the Rangers for much longer, as Adrian Beltre will not be out much longer and he will likely not remain with the team to take over left field while Josh Hamilton is injured. This will be good for Gallo as it will allow him to continue his development without the pressure of winning the Rangers are experiencing. Gallo should be ready towards the end of the season for another chance to show why he is the top prospect.

Next: Elvis continues slow season

Jun 3, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder

(1) steals second base as Texas Rangers shortstop

Elvis Andrus

(1) falls down during the fourth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

2. Elvis Andrus

Overall in 2015, Elvis Andrus is having one of his weaker hitting seasons, hitting just .239/.306/.311  with just 12 extra base hits. This past week, Andrus continued his trend as he hit just .227/.370/.364 with two extra base hits. His .370 on-base percentage is a positive for the week with his five walks which matched his five hits for the week.

One potential problem that could be causing the struggles of Andrus this year is chasing pitches outside of the strike zone. In his career, Andrus has a 22.0% O-Swing%, which is the percentage of pitches outside the strike zone that a batter swings at. This season, however, Andrus has a career high 26.2% O-Swing% which has contributed to his 14.2% strikeout percentage.

If the Rangers want to keep up their winning ways they will need more production from Andrus. Andrus is in just year one of his 8 year, $120 million deal that he signed in April of 2013. The contract will make it difficult for the Rangers to trade Andrus if they decide to do so, but an opt-out in 2018 or 2019 could allow the team to find a trade partner like they did with Ian Kinsler prior to the 2014 season.

Next: Nick Martinez stumbles

Jun 3, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nick Martinez (22) throws during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

1. Nick Martinez

Nick Martinez has had a great season so far with a 2.89 ERA in 65.1 innings over his 11 starts. Martinez picked up the win in four of his first nine starts but has taken the loss in his last two. Martinez had his worst start of the season as he gave up seven runs to the Chicago White Sox in just 3.1 innings, giving him an 18.90 ERA for the game.

Martinez will look to get back on track this week with a schedule start against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. This will be his third start against the Athletics, a team against which he has had success with a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings over two starts. In his only start start at O.co Coliseum he threw 7 shutout innings and picked up the win. Martinez has also had more success on the road than at home this season, with a 1.76 ERA in 30.2 innings compared to 3.89 ERA in 34.2 innings at home.

For the season, starting pitchers for the Texas Rangers have a 19-20 record with a 4.11 ERA , good enough for 16th in baseball. With solid performances from pitchers like Chi Chi Gonzalez and Yovani Gallardo, the Rangers are staying in games and are starting to win them. Martinez should turn it around and I predict at this point next week he will be back on the Hot list after what should be a stellar start.

And now, a look at who has been hot in the past week.

Next: He's turning it around

Jun 5, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder

Leonys Martin

(2) scores against Kansas City Royals catcher

(13) on a single by Rangers catcher

in the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

3. Leonys Martin

It is starting to seem like Leonys Martin is finding his swing again after a rough month of May in which he hit .209/.250/.358. Martin had lost his center field starting spot to Delino DeShields and it was only a matter of time before he was off to another team or sent to the minors.

With the recent injury to Hamilton, the need for Martin in the outfield grew and he got his second chance to show he was an important part of the team. Martin has taken full advantage of the opportunity and is making this outfield more clogged than anybody would have thought possible in April. This past week, Martin hit .381/.409/.429 with eight hits in his 21 at-bats. Martin added four RBI, four runs, and two stolen bases to his line for the week.

While there has been talk of rushing Kyle Blanks and Ryan Rua to the majors or even some thinking Gallo will stay to play left, the job Martin has done this past week may have the Rangers changing their minds. If Martin can continue to play close to the level he was at this week then he could be a vital part of the offense as well as combining with DeShields and Shin-Soo Choo as one of the faster outfields in the MLB.

Next: Shutting the Door

May 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher

Keone Kela

(50) throws the ball against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

2. The Bullpen

The bullpen for this team has turned from a weak point for this team to one of the strongest parts, as analyzed by Matthew Connor yesterday. The Rangers had seven different players pitch at least one inning without giving up a single run with a combined total of 16 shutout innings between them. The only pitcher to come out of the bullpen this week and give up a run was Tanner Scheppers, who gave up two earned runs in 3.1 innings which should not be considered a terrible line as he gave up no runs in two of his three appearances.

This group of mostly unknowns is led by new closer Shawn Tolleson along with others such as Keone Kela, Anthony Bass, and Ross Ohlendorf. The first month of the season saw the Rangers getting very few leads and then blowing those leads whenever they got them. For a team with an offense like the Rangers have had this past month, knowing they can get their starter to the sixth or seventh inning and have a good shot to win is a comforting feeling for the team and for fans.

Next: Chi Chi has Arrived